Crib



Oct. 24, 1944.

s. J. MEISELMAN 2,360,963 2 CRIB Filed Jan. 26, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z .5 P'lEjE.

Fig.5.

5 A E E 1/ E 8 R INVENTOR.

diiorn g Oct, 24, 1944. s. J. MEISELMANI CRIB ' Filed Jan. 26, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWW INVENTOR. ejanubel/ J mewelmn/ Patented Oct. 24, 1944 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE can;

Samuel J. Meiselman, Lynbrook, N. Y., assignor to Edna Meiselman, Lynbrook, N. Y.

Application January 26, 1944, Serial No. 519,728

4 Claims. (01. 102) This invention relates to furniture construction, and particularly to cribs, cradles or similar articles, which can be made either in reduced size for use as toys, or of normal size for actual use, especially by infants. I

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an article of the character mentioned, which will be composed of a number of parts made of sheet material, such as plywood, composition board or the like, and which can be assembled without the use of glue, metallic fasteners or other similar permanent fastening devices. The result of such a construction is that the device can be sold in fiat or knock-down form; it can be assembled by the purchaser, and can be readily dismantled whenever desired for cartage, storage, or shipment.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of an article of furniture, such as a crib, cradle or the like, made either as a toy or for practical use, and composed of a plurality of elements, such as a back, foot, bottom and sides, all provided with suitably placed slots adapted for interengagement to hold-the parts firmly in perfectly secure co-operating positions.

In theaccompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown, Fig. 1 is a face view of the bottom member of the crib; Fig. 2 is a face view of the foot board; Fig. 3 is a face view of the head board; Fig. 4 is a face view of one of the side members; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the assembled crib; Fig. 6 is a view of the head end of the crib; Fig. 7 is a side view of the head end portion of the crib, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view, showing the manner in which one of the slots in one of the side members is engaged with one of the slots in the foot end of the crib.

While I have herein described the article shown in the drawings as a crib, cradle or the like, it will be understood that the design of the same may be varied in many ways, and therefore in using the term crib, I wish to be understood as meaning any other article of furniture of the same general nature which incorporates the claimed structure.

The crib shown is composed of five parts, namely, a bottom I, a foot board 2, a head board 3, and two side members 4, all of these parts being suitably slotted as hereafter described to enable them to interfit and be held together solely by such interfitting of the slots.

The bottom I, shown in plan in Fig. 1, is an elongated sheet of material, such as plywood, composition board,or the like, and is provided with the enlarged ends 5, one of which is slotted inwardly from its edge as indicated at 6, said slot extending inwardly to the center of the bottom member. A similar slot 1 is located at the opposite end of the bottom, both slots 6 and 1 extending inwardly from the same edge of the bottom. I

The head board 3, which is also cut from sheet material, may be made in any desired ornamental way, such as that shown in Fig. 3, and extending inwardly from one of its side edges to its center, is a slot 8, herein referred to as a horizontal slot to distinguish it from the angularly disposed slots II also provided in the head board 3, and which extend downwardly from the upper edge of the head board. The slots I I are herein referred to as the vertical slots.

As shown in Fig. 2, the foot board 2 is generally similar in shape to the head board, but is preferably slightly smaller, and is formed with a horizontal slot 9, similar to that shown at 8 in the head board. The foot board is also provided with the two angular vertical slots I0 corresponding to those shown at I I in the head board.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings is shown one of the side members, two of these being employed, as will be noted in Fig.5. Each of these side members is in the form of an elongated strip having its upper edge ornamentally curved or shaped as shown.

The five parts described constitute all of the parts of the crib and said parts are connected by the interfit of the slots provided in each of them. For example, the slot 8 is inserted through the slot 6 and the head board is then pushed across the end of the bottom member I to the limit of the slots. Similarly, the notch 9 in the foot board is inserted in slot 1. The head and foot boards now extend vertically and support the bottom I in a horizontal position between them.-

The side members 4 are then placed in position,

this being done by engaging slot I3 with one of the slots II, and engaging slot I2 with one of the slots III. The side members are pushed down to the limit of the engaged slots, this bringing the lower edges of the'side members to rest upon the upper face of the bottom I and locating the side members in upwardly diverging relation, as seen in Figs. 5 and 6.

By interengagement of the various slots in the manner described, a rigid and sturdy structure is formed, and the crib will remain in assembled condition indefinitely without the employment of other fastening means.

In the drawings, the slots have, for the purpose of illustration, been shown considerably wider than the thickness of the entering parts. It will, of course, be understood that in actual practice, the slots closely conform to the thickness of the sheet material used for the fabrication of the parts, so that snugness of fit of the parts in the slots is assured and no play or looseness in the slotted connections will be present.

In the form shown, the lower edges of the head and foot boards are curved as shown respectively at l5 and Hi to provide rockers for the crib. These parts may, if desired, be shaped to form feet rather than rockers, if a stationary crib instead of a cradle is desired.

The arrangement shown is such that the crib may be made as a toy or for actual use. Its simple assembly, solely by an interlock of slots, enables it to be sold in knock-down form; assems bled by the purchaser, and easily dismantled for shipment or cartage whenever desired. It may be made of inexpensive sheet materials and in various designs, all of which is comprehended as within the scope of the invention and the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. A crib or similar article comprising, a bottom consisting of a fiat elongated member provided with a transversely extending slot near each of, its opposite ends, a head board also transversely slotted and having its slot interfitted with one of those in the bottom whereby said head board will bedisposed vertically and the bottom will be disposed horizontally, a foot board transversely slotted and having its slot ,interfitted with the second slot in the bottom whereby saidfoot board will be disposed vertically at an end of the bottom remote ,from the head board, and side boards connecting the headand foot boards, the side boards having vertical slots near their oppo.

site ends, and the head and foot boards being provided with substantially vertical slotswith which those in the side boards are engaged.

2. A crib or the like having a sheet material bottom slotted inwardly near its opposite ends, a head board andatoot board each having a slot for interlock with one, of the slots in the bottom to thereby hold the head and foot boards vertically and maintain the bottom horizontally, side members extending between and connecting the head and foot boards, said side members being each slotted near its ends, the head and foot boards being each vertically slotted near its side edges for the reception of the slots in the side members, the parts being held together in the relationship set forth solely by the interengagement of the slots as described.

3. A crib or the like having a bottom consisting of an elongated section of sheet material,

said bottom being inwardly slotted near its opposite ends, the slots extending inwardly from one of the e ges of the bottom and terminating substantially at the center of the bottom, a head "board having a slot extending inwardly from one of its edges and terminating at substantially the center of said head board, said slot engaging one of those provided in the bottom, a foot board slotted similarly t the head board and having its slot engaging the second slot in the bottom, the head board and the foot board being each provided with a pair of upwardly directed angular slots disposed above the bottom, side members connecting the head board and foot board, each .of said side members being upwardly slotted near its opposite ends, the slots in the side members engaging the angular slots in the head and foot boards respectively to thereby locate the side members above the bottom in upwardly divergent relation to one another.

Acrib or the like comprising, a bottom composed of sheet material and provided withslots near its opposite ends, slotted head and foot boards in engagement with the slots in the bottom, the head and foot boards each having a pair of upwardly diverging slots located above the bottom, a pair of side members each having a pair of slots extending upwardly from its bottom edge, one of said slots engaging cheer the divergent slots in the head board and the other slot in the side member engaging one of the divergent slots in the foot board.

. SAMUEL J. MEISELMAN. 

